


pyrophobia

by nihilistporcupine



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Freeverse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 02:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4462262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nihilistporcupine/pseuds/nihilistporcupine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He could play with fire better than they could. — Jeong-Jeong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	pyrophobia

.pyrophobia.

you were a p.r.o.d.i.g.y once

that's what your teachers said through **gritted teeth**

because you could _play with fire_

better than they could 

.oOo.

you take on a student of _your very own_

his name is z!h!a!o

said with a little sneer (he really doesn't care)

all he wants is some p o w e r

to be able to _flick his wrist_

and **destroy** consequences

{such outdated things in this _shinypureworld_ of **f.l.a.m.e** }

so you try to **tame** him like you would a _candle_

[ _breathe, pet, control yourself, pet_ ]

.oOo.

_one morning you find him surrounded by a pile of charred wood_

'just practice, MASTER, i was only p.l.a.y.i.n.g'

what worries you is the **mad sort of gleam in his eyes**

**[** _it will be people, next_ **]**

but you're a _toughtough_ soldier and you aren't supposed to care

**(not with charred flesh still clinging to your hands, at least)**

.oOo.

like a stinking **coward** you _runrunrun_ as far from the army as possible

you're a v*i*l*l*a*i*n, leaving nothing but d e a t h and **destruction** in your wake

you walked a _razor's edge_ between humanity and **s.a.v.a.g.e.r.y**

and you were t-o-r-n-a-p-a-r-t

.oOo.

it's been _yearsandyears_ when the AVATAR shows up

a half-trained little boy who **demands** to be taught

(oh where have you seen this before?)

you _want_ to turn him [down] in a h/e/a/r/t/b/e/a/t

r.o.k.u doesn't let you, though

**(DO YOU THINK I AM /WEAK/?)**

.oOo.

breathe, you tell the boy

**breathe &meditate **

_prove why you are worth my efforts,_ **damn you**

he is disdainful ( _you want to stop breathing?_ )

but eventually, he learns restraint 

.oOo.

|not for long, not once he gets a taste of real **F-I-R-E** |

you watch with _sickbilewrong_ fascination as he a.b.a.n.d.o.n.s his leaf

-as he w-h-i-r-l-s flame as though it's NOTHING

\- as he L*O*S*E*S C*O*N*T*R*O*L and sends his pretty water friend crashing to the ground

( _did he ever have it?_ )

.oOo.

you have _red hands and white knuckles_ as you face **zhao** again

this time, you are not MASTER and p-u-p-i-l

just a m.a.d.m.a.n with **that same gleam**

 _against_ { **a** _dying_ ember}

.oOo.

**-[my old master gave up fighting years ago]**

( _that's what he wants you to think_ )

you can't d-e-s-t-r-o-y the m.o.n.s.t.e.r you've created

[ _COWARDCOWARDCOWARD_ ]

_but you can, at least, save your own hide_

**just-like-you-always-do**

 


End file.
